Goat Island, a small wooded island at the brink of Niagara Falls on the U.S. side, divides the river between Bridal Veil Falls and Horseshoe Falls and has long been one of the chief places to experience the cataract. Formed as the falls eroded upstream, it has been repeatedly reshaped by engineering projects that expanded Terrapin Point, added land, and redirected water, even eliminating part of Horseshoe Falls, though erosion still threatens the island’s future. Named after a winter 1780 incident recalled by John Stedman, the island later became associated with Augustus Porter’s efforts to preserve it as a scenic destination and entered Niagara Reservation State Park in 1885.